May 24th: Jasper Park Lodge Hole #4

Jasper Park Lodge Hole #4 "Cavell" 240-yard Par3 Handicap 9

Unusual for a hole of this length, this superb long one shotter is visually most attractive, despite a poorly placed cart path. The tee shot is elevated and the distant green ringed by five bunkers is visible for all to see. Mercifully, the green is gathering and most putts tend to break towards the middle. Another 1/2 par hole, the type of which is much admired by the architect.

The one shot 4th required a driver in Thompson's day. As with all the greens at Jasper, Thompson provided the player with the opportunity to run the ball onto the putting surface. Such a design attribute allows all skill sets of golfers to enjoy the course.

Thompson is renowned for his wonderful par threes, and he created five gems at Jasper. The two best are his signature long par threes, both found on the front side. Four plays downhill from 240 yards to a green surrounded by five bunkers.

Jasper Park Lodge:

Opened in 1926, his stunningly beautiful layout flows with the natural contours of the land. Thompson startled the golf world by clearing gaps through Jasper's forest to point golfers towards greens aligned with distant mountains, and by whimsically patterning his bunkers after the snow formations on their peaks.

Stops Along the Way - Athabasca Falls:

The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) run parallels the Continental Divide, traversing the rugged landscape of the Canadian Rockies. It links Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, linking Lake Louise and Jasper. The parkway is 230 kilometres in length.

Flowing from the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, the Athabasca River is the largest river system in Jasper. Among the most powerful and breathtaking falls in the Rocky Mountains, the Athabasca River thunders through a narrow gorge. The 23 metre Athabasca Falls is not very high by Canadian Rockies standards, but the size of the river makes it one of the most powerful falls to be found in the mountain national parks. The best views are from the opposite side of the falls from the parking area with Mt Kerkeslin towers in the background. There are lots of short trails to explore on both sides of the falls.